Other Names

How is Eltrombopag Administered?

Take this medication on an empty stomach. Take it 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal.

Swallow the tablets whole. Do not chew, crush, or break them.

Why am I Taking Eltrombopag?

This medication increases the platelet count in patients with chronic ITP (immune thrombocytopenic purpura). It may also be used to raise the platelet count for those with other diagnoses (off-label use) such as aplastic anemia or, in a clinical trial of leukemia patients who have had high dose chemotherapy.

How Does it Work?

Eltrombopag is in a class of medications called thrombopoietin receptor agonists. Thrombopoietin is a protein that is made in the liver. It plays an important role in maturing platelet precursor cells into platelets.

Eltrombopag binds to thrombopoietin and causes bone marrow cells to produce more platelets. Patients with ITP may see an increase in their platelet count 1-2 weeks after starting eltrombopag. It may take longer for patients taking it for an off-label use.